Phi Delta Theta

I have frequently alluded to Phi Delt the last two blog posts and now I'll tell you a little bit more about my experience. Believe it or not I have not always been in love with Phi Delta Theta. My first semester at Phi Delt was filled with much turmoil and I thought about dropping my involvement several times throughout the semester. I was a busy guy and was not a very big fan of having to study the material we covered during our Phikeia (pledge) meetings. Meetings also frequently lasted till 10 at night, and I was not responsible enough at that point in my collegiate career to plan ahead. I was also frustrated because we got in trouble with campus due to a social event we held. I felt like everyone was pointing fingers when everyone was at fault. Having to do house details was also not the most exciting part of the experience either. All of these things accumulated to the point where I became a ghost. I was never involved except for Monday night meeting. This frustrated a lot of people, but I was still initiated.

My bond number is 1028 and after initiation everything started to change with my experience in Phi Delt. This is because of recruitment. Everyone thought I had potential at Phi Delt to be a great recruiter and after being initiated I became a recruitment team captain. That involved meetings on Sunday and attending a recruitment seminar in St. Louis in January. I was very passionate about recruitment and in the spring I took it very seriously. This forced me to be around the house more. This led to me getting to know more about the fraternity and getting to know my brothers. Something I had never taken the time to do before. With this changed attitude I decided to run for secretary for the fall semester. Great personal decision. I prepared a speech and gave a very serious speech that caught everyone off guard. No one took me seriously until that point. I changed everyone's perception of me that night. It really helped my professional development. I have matured so much since that day because of my experiences as secretary and in other organizations. It was first leadership experience, and I got to serve on the executive board for Phi Delt. I learned a lot about responsibility and organization. Very valuable tools that I have since used as Director of Human Resources and now as the new treasurer of Phi Delt.

Living in the house has also been a lot of fun, and I will continue to live here for the next year and a half which is pretty exciting. As far as professional development goes though I do not believe I would be anywhere close to where I am now if it wasn't for Phi Delta Theta. While I am not prepared for the real world the experience I have received at Phi Delt is definitely a step towards being prepared. However, I am excited for when I can enjoy for Phi Delt for the social experience and not the professional aspect. I have made so many friends through the organization, and I look forward to the time when my leadership is no longer needed.